As we wrap up Week 3, our team has made significant strides across production, programming, design, and art. With each role contributing unique expertise, we’re bringing our project closer to a well-defined and functional vision. Here’s a breakdown of our progress, challenges, and what lies ahead.

Production

This week, we explored new creative directions and refined our ideas based on client feedback. The team first came up with 4 pitches for our client. After getting feedback, we started to organize and think of refinement.So, Eva, Jinyi, and Yifan structured a fresh design direction that aligns with our objectives.

New Direction

In simple terms, we are designing something with 3D, something that has Twine’s story flow editor feature, and with AI speech and AI coding integrating in.

Programming

Yifan made progress in testing voice recognition in Unity, with initial trials showing promising results that could pave the way for interactive voice-controlled experiences.

Alongside this, Jinyi explored AI-generated code using both C# and Lua, tested local integration of large language models within Unity, and decided to shift from C# to Lua for runtime compilation. This adjustment allows for a more dynamic and modular implementation, ensuring smoother and more flexible development. The following demo video showed that this approach could work well.

Art

Jia developed art concepts and three branching storylines while refining the art workflow. Zhanqi focused on logo and poster design while testing the art pipeline and collaborated with Sijia to craft additional narrative branches. Meanwhile, Wendy experimented with modeling in Maya, testing different styles for mushrooms. The artists continue to test the art pipeline to ensure smooth integration, this could help the assest creation process further in the development process.

1/4s Feedback

Additionally, we dedicated time to quarter preparation, ensuring our next steps are well-informed and intentional. During quarters, we got some really useful feedback from the faculties that came in to visit.

As we gathered feedback from quarters, several key points emerged. We were encouraged to think deeply about what excites kids at this age, their motivations, learning structures, and prior experiences. Engaging with children as early as possible will be essential to refine our approach. Additionally, we discussed how to measure success, whether through a testable product for the ALICE team, assessing engagement rates, or evaluating learning outcomes. Researching platforms like Roblox AI and other academic works will provide further insights. Overall, the feedback was positive and encouraging, and we’re excited to see how the project evolves.

Key Takeaways & Next Steps

This week highlighted the importance of iteration. Refining ideas based on client feedback allowed us to pivot towards stronger concepts. Our technical team explored innovative AI implementations, and our artists and designers pushed forward with visual creations.

Stay tuned for next week’s updates as we dive deeper into our system design!